WE’RE JUST WARMING UP
Summer is so close you can almost taste it ... and it tastes a lot like this crisp thirst quencher
THE mid-strength beer market looks set to become the new battleground between the major companies, with Lion releasing Iron Jack Crisp Australian Lager just as the weather is warming up.
This could be the first of a number of new brews from Lion, marketed under the Legendary Brewing Company ... a name that leaves itself open to plenty of scrutiny.
Iron Jack looks to be positioned to challenge Fosters’ Great Northern mid, which is proving to be popular north of the Tweed River.
Lions already have Hahn 3.5 and XXXX Gold, but Iron Jack is aiming at a different section of the market: young males looking for a mid strength with an outdoor appeal.
Iron Jack is a clean, clear amber-coloured drop with a white head and slight malt nose.
There’s a crispness to the initial flavour and it does leave the mouth with a degree of bitterness that makes it a thirst quencher.
At 3.5 per cent, you can knock a few over and not feel bloated, however, it is a bit nondescript and just a quaffer.
There’s nothing outstanding about it and, flavour-wise, it’s not one to sit and savour.
While I’m sure it will gain traction among those beer drinkers looking to wash the dust off the tonsils, those who appreciate lagers with depth, body and flavour will find it lacking.
It is a very social beer, well suited to parties, barbecues and camping, which is the market it is chasing, and if you aren’t a big beer drinker, you will find it a pleasant drop.
Think of it as a summer thirst quencher suited to the mid market.
With a clever marketing campaign involving finding hidden camping destinations and watering holes listed in latitude and longitude inside the stubble cap, I’m sure it will be a common sight this summer.